Problem: What is the numerator of the fraction $\dfrac{4}{12}$ ?
Fractions help represent parts of a whole. The fraction $\dfrac{4}{12}$ could represent 4 out of 12 slices of pie. In other words, the pie has been cut into 12 slices, and we are only considering 4 of those slices. $=\dfrac{{4}}{12}=\dfrac{{\text{numerator}}}{\text{denominator}}$ The numerator is the number of slices we consider, and it is written above the fraction line. The denominator is the total number of slices, and it is written below the line. Thus, the numerator is $4$.